Summit County police blotter: Grave robbers pilfer historic headstone

Related Media

Editor’s note: The police blotter is written from incident reports provided by local police departments and the Summit County Sheriff’s Office. All individuals named are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Breckenridge Police Department

Grave robbers pilfer historic headstone

An early 20th century resident is without a headstone after a historic grave marker was stolen from the Valley Brook Cemetery in Breckenridge last week.

The wooden marker belonging to the final resting place of Bertha Welch disappeared from the graveyard sometime between June 7 and June 14, according to a report from the Breckenridge Police Department.

The fragile headstone is believed to be worth more than $1,000 due to its historic value.

The piece features Welch’s name, and her dates of birth and death: January 9, 1883 and February 12, 1902. There is a noticeable split down the center of the grave marker as well, according to the report.

Authorities searched the cemetery to see if the piece had been moved, but did not find it.

Anyone with information relating to the missing piece is asked to contact Breckenridge detective Kylor Dossett at (970) 547-3134.

Summit County Sheriff’s Office

Piping hot

A woman was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia June 10, after residue on a pipe she allegedly admitted was hers tested positive for methamphetamine.

Authorities with the Summit County Sheriff’s Office reportedly contacted the woman after being called to a reported trespassing, according to a report from the office. The woman and another man were accused of being in another individuals apartment without permission and breaking a window, the report states.

When patting down the man, authorities allegedly discovered the pipe containing white residue and a clear bag wrapped in a bandana, according to the report. Both the man and the woman were questioned and both reportedly stated the paraphernalia belonged to her.

The report states the woman told deputies she used the pipe to smoke meth and that she had had a drug problem since the age of 13. She said she’d asked the man to carry the pipe while they were hitchhiking because her own pockets were too small, the report states.

She was booked in the Summit County Jail for an outstanding warrant and issued a summons for the paraphernalia charge.

It is unclear whether the man faced any charges in connection with the incident.